Work
by Scarpaw
Summary: It was mundane work, but I didn't mind it. Fifth Season, Memory World. Short one-shot of just how they got the Memory World board and figurines done.


Hey! ^_^ This is just a short story that has been rotting away, unfinished, in my documents' folder, so I decided to open it today to see what it was to see if I shoul delete it or not. I read over it, and decided to finish and post it! ^_^

This is pretty much an episode that goes between Yugi seeing Yami Bakura and them going to Egypt in the final season, Memory World. It stars Ryou with voice ft. Yami Bakura and Zorc.

Koe- Voice

_This is Bakura speaking_

_**This is Zorc**_

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**_Work_**

The bristles of the brush scratched at the surface, decorating it with color in the barest of amounts. I need to get it right the first time- there would be no second chance. Even though time flows differently here, and I had in reality less time than I do now, I was rushing myself to get this done.

Every little detail, every single person had to be exactly right, in perfect alignment with the koes description. If they weren't, down to the last toenail, I fear the worst. I didn't want to see what they would do to me if I even made the tiniest mistake at any moment.

_Nothing yandounishi, not while we still need you._

I flinch at the sound of one of the koe's, the brush falling from my hand and smearing the table with black paint, narrowly missing one of the pyramids.

_**Watch it! We don't need you to mess anything up.**_

I flinch once more at the other koe's voice. This was the new koe, the one that I had only started hearing after I had tried hiding in the church when I first heard it before the Sennen Ring was back in my possession somehow.

_Relax. He's doing fine. The last thing we need is for him to be distracted at worrying about what might happen to him._

I hesitantly pick up the brush again and go back to painting the figurines. The original koe that had come from the Sennen Ring had taken up a defensive tone. It was like he was angry with the new koe, like he didn't really want him here.

It makes me wonder, as I paint the black of Yami no Yuugi's hair, why the original koe let the new koe stay. He sure wasn't happy about the new koe…

_And what makes you think that, yandounishi?_

I grimace, and turn all my attention onto the figurines. Trembling fingers reach forward for an unpainted dragon figurine that I knew full well that was supposed to be completely black. Before I could even touch the paint brush to it, it was snatched out of my hands by invisible fingers.

_**Not yet! This one is for last.**_

The new koe was mad at me- I couldn't blame the koe. I should've remembered that I had been told in the beginning that one was to be painted last, but I didn't. I just thought that it would've been easier, _quicker_, if I had painted an all black dragon when I was going through with the black paint.

I think they were taunting me, making me feel even more stressed as I tried to accomplish this enormous feat in a few hours of my time. Of course, in this room- the Shadow Realm -the koes could manipulate time so that it could be like not even a minute had passed whilst I did this, yet at the same time they could make a few hours.

The unpainted dragon was never set back down; leaving me to assume the koe still had it and wasn't going to give it back until it was time for me to paint it. A bit unsettled, I put the black paintbrush in the jar of black paint and reach for the white paint and the other unpainted dragon. The Blue Eyes White Dragon; all white with the darkest of blue eyes. I struggle to remember the name of the figurine that went along with Blue Eyes. It was… Ki-something. Ki…sara? Yes, it was Kisara.

An outcast with a tragic past. She was a foreigner who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time at one point in her life and got wrapped up in Fate's twisted game. The same twisted game Fate had wrapped me in.

I must have stopped my work, because I was brought back to attention by a sharp smack on my head that nearly sent me sprawling into the paint. As fast as I could, I pick up the brush for the white paint and start painting the dragon. It didn't take much time, as the dragon was to be completely white except for the eyes.

I set the dragon down so the white paint could dry in this time-warped reality, and move onto another figurine. I pick up a figurine of Dark Magician Girl and start painting her. Why did Ancient Egypt have Dark Magician Girl? She's from a card game in this century, isn't she? But then, the same would go for Kaiba's Blue Eyes, wouldn't it?

I suddenly feel like throwing the brush across the room and scattering all the figurines that I've spent what seems to be days on, but I don't for fear of what the koes would do. The one that came from the Ring wouldn't care more than likely, just slapping me and telling me to start over, but I wasn't sure of what the new koe would do.

I yawn, wishing I could go to sleep as I paint Dark Magician Girl. I don't remember the last time I got to sleep, most of my time being spent in this room making the figurines and game pieces for the Ancient Egypt-Themed version of Monster World. I don't even know what time it was…

I feel my eyes droop close, and I struggle to keep them open. I don't want anything to happen to the figurines- I don't want to get in trouble for ruining them. I yawn once again, and struggle to keep my hand steady as I continue to paint. I need to sleep, but I can't. Not until these figurines were finished. I rub my eye and continue my work, taking the yellow paint to color her hair blonde. After that, I pick up the pink to trace the thin lines of her outfit.

I probably shouldn't have done that, I realized later, as tired as I was. My sight splits, and I create a huge pink line cutting across the Dark Magician Girl's outfit. The reaction is immediate.

I receive a sharp cuff to the side of my head. The blow is strong enough to send me sprawling from my chair and it knocks the brush from my hand and tips the jar of paint. I rub my eyes, trying to get them to focus, wincing at the pain that is erupting from my head.

_**Idiot! Watch what you're doing! We don't need you messing anything up!**_

I try my hardest not to cry at the pain that was coming from my head as I try to stand up. I stumble upon standing, clutching the edge of the table and my head. My eyes are slits as I try to focus on the mess on the table. It's gone already, the small canister of paint sitting on the other side of the table, a new, unpainted, Dark Magician Girl sitting in the old ones' place.

_Watch it! We don't need you incapacitating the only capable person who can complete this board!_

I blink as I slowly take my seat at the table again. Of course koe would say that- that is all I'm important for.

_**Well, maybe we need someone else.**_

I freeze, hand halfway out to grab the Dark Magician Girl. Th-They wouldn't replace me, would they? They wouldn't get rid of me, right? They needed me!

_We don't. Ryou's the best there is. He's better at making these figurines than anyone else._

My heart clenches and the figurine I just picked up falls back on the table. He… actually cares?

In response I receive a cuff on my head. It's not as hard as the others, but it gets the point across. I start working again.

_We're not replacing him._

_**What, actually care for the weakling, Touzokou Akefia?**_

_No Zorc. It's because it would be more of a hassle if we brought another person in. We would waste precious time tracking the person down to replace him._

_**Hmph. Still. That brat of yours better do a good job. If he doesn't…**_

I stop working as the threat hands in the air.

_I'll deal with it. What he does or doesn't do is left for me to decide._

I frown to myself as I continue to work. I gaze at all the figurines that are in front of me. Over three-quarters of them are done. Setting Dark Magician Girl down, I pick up Slifer, flinching slightly as I remember Battle City. Not a fond memory.

I sigh as I place the completed Slifer down.

It's mundane work, but I like it.

_**~~Owari~~**_

So, how was it? I feel it's okay work- not my best, but still okay.

And those who are wondering about Allure, don't worry! It'll be updated soon!... hopefully...

Please read and review and tell me what you think!

~~Paw-chan Signing Out~~


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